Picker check for looms



E. 6.. NICHOLS PICKER CHECK FORLOOMS Nov. 29, 1949 Filed April 15, 19480 3 O 8 {I 3 3 Z 3 MD IN VEN TOR. EDWARD C NICHOLS ATTORNEY PatentedNov. 29, 1949 PICKER CHECK FOR. LOOMS:

Edward C. Nichols, Upton, Mass, assignor to D a er o ne atipn HOIQQQQQMa s,-, a c rve ii 1. ai

Application April 13, 194 8 SerialNo, 2!},61-3 lq aims. (Cl. lia- Thisapplication pertains to an invention, in looms, and more particularly,tomeans for are resting orcheclcing the picker andfor preventing reboundof the loom shuttle.

It is a general object of the invention to.pro,-. vide an improved meansfor checking the movement of the picker and picker stick of a. loom asthese parts approach the end of their stroke. and to; prevent or reduceto a minimum the. tendency of the shuttle to rebound from the. end ofthe shuttle box. Along with this generalobject, itis a further object todo away with theconventional he le mps. a d. t e at e a t supportinea ai i s eans. all o which dd. ma eriall o the mass reciprocable with the,lay.

It is a more specific object to devise a relatively compact, lightdevice which shall be readily apn ica t the lay d a w ich. s a be en:gaged by the picker itself for checking its return and for thereafter,upon contact between the shuttle and picker, absorbing the kineticenergy of the rapidly moving shuttle to stop the parts the shuttleproperly boxed and with substantially no. rebound. It is a furtherobject to provide for centeringthe picker so it may be p0.- sitionedcentrally of. the, shuttle path and to prevent engagement between; thepicker sticlg and the sides of that slot within which it travels.

Another object of the invention is that of pro.- vidi s a univer almounting fo ne f he picker he k embers so that it wi ways en a e thepicker under uniform conditions and with evenly distributed pressure. Afurther object, is that of devising an adiustment which, with theuniversal, mounting, may be employed to set the check means fordifferent conditions of operation. Other objects will, become apparentfrom the following disclosure,

The conventionalpi ker and pi r tick che ing means employs leather orsimilar straps which aread'justably retained beneath the lay and whichare en aged y the p ke s ick as it moves n either direction. These checkstraps contribute considerably to the cost of a loom operation sincethey must be replaced frequently. Also, their intended function is notwell served when they are subjected to varying conditions of humidity.They wear rapidly and thus adjustments must follow frequently. The checkstrap brackets and attendant adjustingmeans are relatively heavy and addconsiderably to the mass of the reciprocating lay which is alre dy mo ebu y than i desired.

With the above mentioned or other inadequacies of the conventional checkstraps in mind,

the present invention is directed toward a light and mpl han s which adir c ly up n the picker itself, and which, is carried at the layadjacent the outer ends of the front and rear shuttle box plates, At therear side of the shuttle box and adjacentthe binder pivot is fixed,preferably in. an adjustable manner, a plate extending parallel tothatside oi the picker and in thesame direction as the shuttle movementalong the lay} T i at nc i s oopp se e e c s irected against it throughthe picker by a resiliently actuated complementary check member. It alsoserves in cooperation with other parts, to, position the pickerat thecenter line. of thepath of shuttle fli t,-

At h front o he hutt e ox a d at a osi o opposite the relatively fixedplate is adjustably attached, to, a convenient portion of the lay or Qmec nism. a complem n a p es u e mm loer.v This member preferablyincludes a rigidly attached base to which is connected for a limitedamount of movement a movable pr fiser member. Resilien mea s. s ch s spin s nt po d etween the base and presser member and serves to urge thelatter into engagement with the picker.

While the invention in one of its broader asp e cont pla es the, mloymen f a y r silient means in combination with the universally mountedpresser member it is preferred that sen,- arate and independentlyadjustable resilient ans b l ed e ad ace t h ker check.- ns nt a the mvabl P esse me b an the other close to that point at which the piclgeris finally stopped after the shuttle hasbeen boxed. By pro y adjustingthe amo nt. f c to be exerted at each point, it is possible to regulatethe picker checking and the absorption of energy e3:- pended by themoving shuttle as it is arrested, so that the parts always stop, at theend of the lay w ir a ly n te en y t l bil ll d:

The device i ref abl con t uct ent el from metal and thus has a lifecomparable to that o t et e m re ermanent 001 ha sa tha i e w e h pic eriqk is whiee to i 29s rigorous action, it is guided centrally of itsslot and of contact with the sides thereof. The picker s f is a ed, nits mo eme t and i h il a a h de o as t re i the t nd nc of. h Shuttle pr t split o o rw e n u e t The invention and one modification thereofwill be described in greater detail by reference to the accompanyingfigures of drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a lay end, shuttle, picker andshuttle be to which the invehtion i a plied sh h- Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the mechanism of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken horizontally of the device at line 3-3, Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken at line !---4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one form of the fixed picker engagingplate.

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the universally mounted, movable pressermember base and presser plate.

Fig. 7 is a section of part of the movable presser member illustrating amodifi d form of spring device. 1

Now referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a preferred form of the invention hasbeen applied to a lay end of a typical loom of which only enough of theparts intimately associated with the picker check are shown as arenecessary to a full understanding of the invention. A picker it isattached to the end of a picker stick H pivoted at a parallel motion atthe base of the loom and actuated in a manner not shown or describedhere since it is not necessary to an understanding of this invention.The picker stick is loosely guided in a slot 12 at the lay end generallyindicated by numeral 13. A front box plate M is attached in the usualway, while the rear box plate including a binder i5 pivoted at itcompletes the box structure within which the shuttle I1 is receivedafter being picked from the opposite side of the loom, and from which itis ejected on its return pick by the stick I! and picker it The shuttleis provided with a spur l8 engageable within a conical recess at theinner end of picker III. In normal operation the picker stick isforcefully moved from its outer position in which it bears against stopH9 at the end of slot l2 and through the intermediary of picker IE3,

rapidly accelerates the shuttle to start it on its flight to theopposite side of the loom. The stick I l is checked or stopped on itsinner beat or stroke by any satisfactory mechanism, whereupon it is thenreturned outwardly by the usual heel strap or other mechanism (notshown).

On the return beat of the picker stick it is desirable to check it at apoint spaced a short distance, e. g., about two inches, more or less,from the stop l9. When the returning shuttle strikes the picker it movesit toward the end of the lay or until the stick is lodged against stop i9. it is the function of the novel means hereinafter to be described tostop the picker and its stick at the first so-called picker checkposition, and then to pre vent rebound as the parts move to the lay end,by absorbing the kinetic energy in the shuttle so that it will be fullyboxed and will remain in that position, 1. e., will not rebound.

As shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the novel check means comprises, at therear or back of the lay, a relatively fixed, but preferably adustable,guide plate 2!! having a curved inner end 2! and an angularly directedextension 22 by which it is attached to some convenient portion of thelay or back plate.

Here an extending lug 23 has been cast on the back box plate extension2d and is drilled for bolts 25 which pass through slots 25 in theextension 22. The guide plate 2!! is adjustable by loosening bolts 25after which it may be iocked properly adjusted position. Extension 22has an aperture 2? cut therein to provide clearance for the binder pivot[6,

The movable presser plate 28, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, issymmetrically formed about the springs 40 and 4| which are under6011013105" center line 4-4, Fig. 1. That makes it possible to use unitsconstructed identically at either side of the loom. Base 29 is slottedat 38 and is adjustably clamped in position on lay end I3 by bolts orscrews 35. These permit adjustment of the posi' tion of the entire unit.

Base. 29 has projecting side extensions 32 33 terminating at theirupper, outer end lugs 3 and 35. When assembled by placing plate inposition and then sliding base 29 into place so th at the extensions 32and 33 enter grooves formed between the receding portions 35 and 3'5 andthe inturned ends 38 and 39, the two parts are locked to gether,although presser plate 28 will be ir to move through a limited extent.That mover; is not restricted, Within limits, in any direction. and thusis termed a universal one.

The base casting 29 is hollowed out to he sion between the plate 28 anda yoke 42. The presser plate itself is maintained at proper height bycontact of the end portions thereof with the underlying portion of thelay end or, as here shown, an adapter piece I3 attached above the layend.

Springs 49 and M are adjusted by moving yok 32 in or out as adjustingscrews 43, threads hit the yoke and bearing at their heads in recesse44, are turned in the appropriate direction. Hole entering the recessesfrom the outer side of the base permit engagement of the screw heads bya wrench or other tool.

A locking screw 45 passes through the base sting from the outside andwhen drawn binds or locks the yoke into which it is threaded. There isenough angular displacement of the yoke pos sible so that the springsmay be adjusted to different values, so that the checking actioncontrolled by the inner spring 4 I may be set independently of that ofthe outer spring which afiects that end of the presser plate moreintimately associated with the prevention of rebound.

While the two springs control the two functions above mentionedindependently to an extent, it is a fact that each function is affectedto some extent by both springs. The picker is stopped or checked inapproximately the position of Fig. 1, and at that point the inner springSi is dominant. The contact of the shuttle then drives the picker to itsendmost position during which time both springs become involved and theouter one 40 to an increasing extent as the movement progresses. Withthe correct setting of the springs it is possible to check the pickerfar enough from its extreme outward position, Fig. 3, so that with theresistance offered, the parts will stop without rebound and with theshuttle completely boxed.

The base casting is arched upwardly as at 5 to encase the springs andattendant parts and to present a relatively smooth exterior so that thefilling or other yarns may not become intanglecl therewith.

Now referring to Fig. '7, a modification is shown in which the springadjustment is not an individual one. Here the parts corresponding tothose above described have been designated by the same numerals primed.Springs 5? and 58 bear against presser plate 28, being forced in thatdirection by a yoke 49. The springs are maintained in position by pins50 and 5! riveted or otherwise inserted in the yoke. An adjusting bolt52 passes through yoke 49 and into the base 29 and by it, the yoke maybe drawn in to increase tension or vice versa. Here the entire unitmaybe adjusted or the. springs may be sixmnitaneously ten'sibned. Bycombinations: of these settings the picker function may be controlled sothat the shuttle will not rebound: and will box as intended;

The preferred form of the invention contemplates placing the so-calledfixed member at the back of the lay end and the movable member at thefront, Obviously, that arrangement of parts may bereversed if desired,The term movable member" includes the base, the movable presser plate,springs, etc., but-is generally designated as movable to distinguish itfrom the fixed plate which is only moved incidental to adjustment.While, as described, the movable member is reversible so as to beapplicable to either end,

that is not wholly essential and may be changed for reasons, in whichevent separate "right and left. units are utilized.

It been found in practice that the plates 2!! and 28 function well ifmade from a relatively hard, smoothly polished metal, for example,steel, but if desired other materials may be used, or metal may befacedwith a satisfactory friction material.

Here the devicehasbeen adapted for use with one type of picker, but itis well suited to use with other forms of pickers, and modificationsnecessary for that purpose will readily occur to those skilled in theart.

While one preferred embodiment and a modification of the invention havebeen disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may becarried out in a number of ways. This application is, therefore, not tobe limited to the precise details described, but is intended to coverall variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit ofthe invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1-. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end" of said lay, ashuttle, means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker and aslot in said lay within which said pickerstick is guided, means for checking said picker and picker stick as theyapproach the end of the slot in the lay and for preventing rebound ofthe shuttle from the end of the shuttle box which comprises a relativelyfixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of said shuttlebox and disposed at a position to engage one side of the picker when itapproaches the end of its stroke, means for adjusting said fixed platelaterally of the slot and into parallelism with the direction of shuttleflight, and a relatively movable presser member at the opposite side ofthe shuttle box, said member being opposed to and universally mountedfor movement to and from the fixed member so that the picker engagingface thereof may exert a substantially uniform pressure against the faceof the picker engaged thereby, and resilient means for urging saidmember into engagement with the picker.

2. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelalively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said memberbeing substantially coextensive in length with said fixed plate andsupported for limited movement universally so that the picker engagingface; thereof may exert a substantially uniform pressure against thepicker, and means. for urging said member into engagement with thepicker comprising two tensioned springs spaced lengthwise of the member.

3, In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelatively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said membercomprising a base portion adjustably attached to the lay end and apresser plate connected to said base portion for limited universalmovement relatively thereto so that the picker engaging face thereof mayexert a substantially uniform pressure against the picker, and springmeans for forcing said presser plate away from the base portion andtoward the picker and means for varying the tension in said springmeans.

4. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelatively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said membercomprising a base portion and means for adjustably attaching it to thelay end, and a presser plate having a centrally disposed fiat pickerengaging surface from which extends in at least one direction anangularly receding portion, said plate having inturned ends by which itis loosely interlocked with complementary engaging members on said base,and spaced adjustable spring means between said base and presser platefor urging it toward the said. fixed plate and into contact with theface of the picker.

5. In a loom having a lay, a. shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelatively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said membercomprising a base portion and means for attaching it to the lay end andproviding adjustment laterally thereof, and a presser plate having acentral flat picker engaging surface from which extend symmetrically ineither direction, angularly receding portions having inturned ends bywhich the presser is loosely interlocked with complementary engagingmembers on said base, and spaced adjustable spring means between saidbase and presser plate for urging it toward the said fixed plate andinto contact with the face of the picker.

6. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelatively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said membercomprising a base portion attached to the lay end and a presser plateconnected to said base portion for limited universal movement relativelythereto, and spring means for forcing said presser plate into contactwith the picker including two spaced springs, one adjacent either end ofthe member, and means for effecting independent adjustment of thetension in said springs.

'7. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelatively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said membercomprising a base portion attached to the lay end and a presser plateconnected to said base portion for limited universal movement relativelythereto, and spring means for forcing said presser plate into contactwith the picker including two spaced springs, means for adjusting thetension in each spring independently including a yoke, threadedadjusting fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said membercomprising a base portion attached to the lay end and a presser plateconnected to said base portion for limited universal movement relativelythereto, and spring means for forcing said presser plate into contactwith the picker including two spaced springs,

means for adjusting the tension in said springs including a yoke againstwhich said springs bear at one end, centering pins projecting from saidyoke for guiding the springs, and an adjusting means centrallypositioned between the springs for drawing the yoke inwardly.

9. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelatively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end of saidshuttle box and disposed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it approaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, positioned sothat the picker engaging face thereof may bear against the opposite sideof the picker, and spring means for urging said member into contact withthe picker comprising two springs spaced apart and bearing at pointsadjacent the ends of the member, and means for effecting independentadjustment of the tension in each said spring.

10. In a loom having a lay, a shuttle box at the end of said lay, ashuttle and means for propelling the shuttle along said lay including apicker stick and a picker, means for checking said picker and pickerstick and for preventing rebound of the shuttle which comprises arelatively fixed plate at one side of and adjacent the outer end ofsaidshuttle box and dis-posed at a position to engage one side of the pickerwhen it ap-* proaches the end of its stroke, and a relatively movablepresser member at the opposite side of the shuttle box, said memberbeing coextensive with and opposed to said relatively fixed plate, amounting means for said relatively movable presser member forrestraining it in the direction of picker movement, but permitting alimited universal motion thereof laterally of that direction so that thepicker engaging face thereof may exert a substantially uniform pressureagainst the picker, and resilient means for urging said member intoengagement with the picker.

EDWARD C. NICHOLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 769,669 Stimpson Sept. 6, 19041,138,660 Jones et a1.- May 11, 1915 1,678,268 Northrop -1 July 24, 19282,417,295 Darwin Mar. 11. 19

